Joystiq [PlayStation]

Leveling up is one of the most addictive aspects of Call of Duty 4's multiplayer -- just look at the Double XP weekends that Infinity Ward runs. However, the game's impressive stats-tracking will reward players for more than just kills. Exceling in certain attributes will progress players closer to certain medals and ribbons, which will further unlock additional abilities for the player. It's a lot like Metal Gear Online: do one particular action frequently, and you'll find your in-game character will become much better at it.

As we discussed earlier in the day, the class system of Killzone 2 reminds us a lot of Team Fortress 2. But, that's not a bad thing at all. In fact, there's even more depth to this system, thanks to the ability to mix and match various abilities from different classes. Want to be a Medic Saboteur? Go for it. Want to be a Tactician Scout? Go for it. Because of the large scale of these team-based battles, the choices you make will greatly affect the outcome of the game. Seeing so many abilities combined really opens up a lot of gameplay variety.


Communication and teamwork will be key to victory, and that's why Guerrilla Games is spending so much time on creating squads and clans. Squads can be formed anytime in a match, and these four-man teams will be able to communicate directly to each other. Taking a page from Battlefield, one person can be assigned position of class leader, and so long as that leader is alive, the squad will be able to respawn right next to the leader. This means progression to a map can be easier, so long as the squad communicates and keeps their leader alive. There are strategic advantages to this, such as letting a certain member sacrifice himself to let the leader go on further. Once the fallen member respawns, he will gain all the progress his leader has made.

Clans are going to be big in Killzone 2, and Guerrilla is smartly giving clans "valor points," an in-game currency which can be bet during competitions against other clans. Both teams can place in 500 valor, for example, and the winning team will be able to net 1000 valor, while the loser walks away in shame. We can see squads trying to recruit the best, as they attempt a perilous climb to the top of the Killzone leaderboards.


The comunity features of Killzone 2 won't probably be as comprehensive as the ones being developed for SOCOM Confrontation, but there certainly will be quite a lot to see and do. Extensive stats tracking, tournaments, ladders, and a huge variety of achievements will keep players coming for more. If the in-game community features aren't enough, Guerrilla also has the killzone.com portal which will give players access to all their in-game stats and info.

Killzone 2 is going to be a fun multplayer game. The class-based squad shooting looks to combine the best of arcadey gameplay and tactical strategy. With an ambitious single player campaign, 8 maps that can support up to 32 players, and 5 game play modes, it's clear that Killzone 2 is going to offer a lot of bang for the buck. Too bad the wait until early next year is going to be intolerably long. Thankfully, the public beta, which will be available by year's end, will keep us satiated.